The present invention is generally directed to a hand grenade, and, more particularly, to an electronically activated hand grenade.
Conventional hand grenades 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprise a body 12, typically fabricated of steel or some other metal, having a main charge 14 and a detonator 16 therein. A chemical delay element or fuse 18 is attached to the detonator 16. A primer 20 is located adjacent an end of the chemical delay element 18, opposite from the detonator 16. A spring loaded handle 22 is pivotably attached to the body 12, and a pin 26, engaged with the body 12 and the handle 22, maintains the handle 22 in a first position (FIG. 1) in which the grenade 10 is deactivated. When the pin 26 is removed, the handle 22 is biased toward a second position (FIG. 2), in which the grenade 10 is activated. However, a user holds the grenade 10 with the handle 22 in the first position until the grenade 10 is thrown.
In use, a user, e.g., a soldier, pulls the pin 26 out of engagement with the body 12 and the handle 22, while manually grasping the grenade 10 and maintaining the handle 22 in the first position. Once the handle 22 moves to the second position, e.g., when a user releases the handle 22 while throwing the grenade 10 after removing the pin 26, a striker 28 underneath the handle 22 rotates and strikes the primer 20. A flash of heat from the primer 20 ignites the chemical delay element/fuse 18. The chemical delay element 18 burns down to the detonator 16 within the main charge 14, creating a chemical spark which set off the main charge 14 within the grenade 10 in a well-known manner. Generally, the chemical delay element 18 should burn down to the detonator 16 and the main charge 14 to set off the grenade 10 in approximately 3 to 5 seconds, giving the user adequate time to throw the grenade 10 a safe distance.
One disadvantage of such conventional grenades 10 is that the exact delay time that the chemical delay element/fuse 18 provides is not precise, and is sometimes unpredictable. Accordingly, if the grenade 10 does not detonate fast enough, the enemy may have an opportunity to pick up the hand grenade 10 and throw it away or back toward the initial user, leading to injury or death of at least the initial user. Another disadvantage of such conventional hand grenades 10 is that if the hand grenade 10 is inadvertently not thrown far enough, the hand grenade 10, upon detonation, could potentially injure or kill at least the user who threw the hand grenade 10.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to manufacture an improved hand grenade providing a more precise detonation structure and procedure, ensuring that the hand grenade detonates at the proper time, while also preventing detonation of the hand grenade if the hand grenade has not traveled far enough away from the user.